By Graeme Fletcher, National Post

Originally published: October 21, 2011

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Look back at Buick’s automotive names and you’ll find the Gran Sport. It debuted in 1965 as an option on the Skylark, Century, Riviera and Wildcat. In the mid-’70s, Buick shortened it to GS, although it still signified the highoutput version of the car that wore the badge. In 1988, General Motors resurrected the GS moniker on the Regal. At first, it was a lukewarm thing. However, in 1997, it earned a 240-horsepower 3.8litre supercharged V6. For 2012, the GS is back and, again, it graces the Regal.

This time around, the Regal GS is differentiated from its siblings by different front and rear fascias, rocker panel extensions and a rear lip spoiler.

Lift the GS’s hood and things are very pretty here — a high-output version of GM’s direct-injected 2.0L Ecotec four-cylinder. In this application, the horsepower rises from the Regal CXL Turbo’s 220 to a more rewarding 270 stallions. More importantly, it is the torque hike that gives the GS its mustard off the line. The CXL Turbo makes 258 pound-feet of torque; the GS twists out 295 lb-ft. This version of the Ecotec engine cuts the zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour time to less than seven seconds, which is quick for a four-door family sedan.

The GS also benefits from a tweaked version of GM’s Interactive Drive Control. In this case, there are normal, sport and GS modes for the adaptive dampers. The first two modes only alter the damping; the GS setting also puts a little more heft in the steering. For more enthusiastic moments, the GS mode is the right choice as the firmer steering brings better feedback.

Inside, the Gran Sport earns a couple of very welcomed upgrades. The first is the deep-dish front bucket seats. They hug without confining and deliver the lateral support needed when the Regal is driven with purpose. The inclusion of a flat-bottom sport steering wheel underscores the GS’s speedier personality.